Chapter 4

Food

Most Americans take food and the farmer for granted. The majority of people today are no longer attached to the land and are totally out of touch with the rhythms of nature. Ever since the 1940s, the bulk of the American population started moving away from involvement with the land, and away from personal participation in the annual cycle of putting up food for the coming winter months. It used to be that most of the population had gardens and canned food every year. This change represents a very brief exception in the longer span of human history. The current norm of cheap and abundant food with no real participation on the consumer’s part has an unnatural and artificial basis. Since the public has not experienced a food shortage in recent history, they tend to take the welfare of the nation’s farmers for granted. A combination of bad weather and economic conditions has caused thousands of farmers to go under in the last several years. Most food is no longer grown locally. This is a potentially vulnerable situation. What makes things even worse is that a lot of the food Americans eat today comes from outside of the U.S.
      A Y2K related disruption of power, telecommunications and electronic commerce and/or a nuclear or biological attack upon the United States, could easily disrupt the network of food production and distribution resulting in a nationwide food shortage. Prepared people will not only be able to take care of themselves, but also to help others. The next five years may be a period of planetary resolution which will outpicture as a syndrome of natural disasters, disrupted weather patterns with attendant crop failures and political and social upheaval. The orderly mechanisms of our civilization are going to be put to the severest tests in recorded history. And though this will bring out the best qualities of self-sacrifice in many persons who rise to the challenge of the times, in general, it could be a period of increasing chaos and disintegration.
      Under normal circumstances, the modern just-in-time warehousing system provides the consumer with a variety of foods at bargain prices, but as a result, at any given time, the average supermarket only has about 3 to 4 days worth of food in stock. Research and history have shown that most people do not prepare ahead of time. They usually wait until the last minute to prepare, even if they have received advanced warning. Instead, they start shopping when the snow starts falling, or when the hurricane is less than half a day away, or when the river is starting to overflow its banks. A survey of supermarket managers concluded that the general public never purchases food more than a few hours ahead of an expected emergency.
      In the typical pre-disaster scenario, a few hours before the storm hits, the general public rushes in and buys what they think they need—primarily bread and water. This is referred to as panic buying and is quite different from making preparations. Survey data about panic buying habits concludes that on New Year’s Eve Day of 1999, most of the public will purchase extra bread, water, batteries and flashlights in preparation for Y2K. This is not a good plan.
      The infrastructure for the production and distribution of food is much more vulnerable than most people think, and also much more technology-dependent. Most of the major crops produced by farmers are shipped by rail to food processing facilities. The railroad system is computer dependent. Getting the food from the field to the table involves a lot more than going out in the field and picking vegetables.
      In the case of a nationwide food shortage, local communities would be placed in a desperate struggle to feed themselves. A government study undertaken back in the 1970s reinforced the potential for prolonged food shortages as a result of infrastructure disruption. This particular study focused on the effects of a nuclear war, and determined that far more Americans would die from starvation in the year following a nuclear attack than would die from the direct effects of the initial attack. It stands to reason that in a major man-made, technological or natural disaster, the government would implement food rationing whenever and wherever they could.
      Prepared people are not dependent people. In the event of a disaster they aren’t a burden on strained and inadequate government relief efforts. They take care of themselves and they also help others. People stocking up when there is abundance helps the farmers and the economy. More importantly, in the event that a real shortage occurs in the future, the fact that some people have stocked up will mean that fewer people will have to compete for the limited available supplies. Then why would the establishment be trying to put preparedness in a bad light? The reason is that dependence is conducive to control.
      Prepared people will definitely have the potential of retaining more of their freedoms in the event of martial law. Those who are unprepared, and thus totally dependent upon government handouts, will have to meet the terms and conditions associated with the handout. The helpless will have to comply with governmental restriction and regulation, or go without food.
      Historically, national emergencies have resulted in the reductions in civil liberty and the empowering of government. When the government offers assistance it is not a free ride. There are always conditions attached that extend more government control and scrutiny into our lives.
      The United States Department of Agriculture administered food rationing during World War II. The Soil Conservation Service, that is a branch of the USDA, has certain duties under FEMA. Not only does the USDA have responsibility for food rationing under FEMA, but they would also have the responsibility of operating designated gun collection centers. The linkage is not a coincidence. If you want a food coupon you will have to turn in your guns. In the event of a food shortage most people will be begging for the National Guard to bring them food, water and other supplies. The average American will gladly agree to a suspension of the U.S. Constitution if it means they are getting fed.
      In this case, those who planned ahead and stocked up could retain their right to bear arms. You would not be reading this book if you did not already have an inner conviction that action must be taken to secure the physical well being of our families and community. We should stockpile food while time and availability remains.
      It is the author’s recommendation that every family should stock up with a minimum of a four-month food reserve, and ideally, as much as a four-year food supply for each person in preparation for an extended disaster recovery. Don’t forget that buckets and cans eventually get empty. Don’t neglect to consider renewable food options if at all possible. Put away a quantity of non-hybrid garden seeds. Experiment with sprouting. If you live in a rural area, raising animals like chickens and goats will put you way ahead of the rest of the crowd. Not only will you have your own meat, eggs and milk; you will have extra food to barter with.
      This section will address practical matters of food storage that have come to our attention in recent years by actual experience in this field. The information will cover both family and shelter long-term food storage programs.
      Ideally, a long-term food storage program should be designed to meet the specific needs of you and your family. The sooner you start the more prepared you will be. Use the guidelines in this chapter to determine what kind of program you need. If you simply want to purchase a food program, turn to “Basic Food Programs.” Get started now and don’t forget the can opener!

Stocking Up

      In addition to a long-term food program, you can begin stocking up so that you are prepared with food for a few days or more in the event of a weather disaster, power outage, tight budget, or even unexpected extra company. Although these tips are not a substitute for worst-case scenario preparations, they are keys to getting started and learning how to “camp out.” Try to anticipate all potential food ingredients needed, because in a disaster, you probably won’t have access to a grocery store.

1. Start stocking up on foods that your family likes to eat and is used to eating regularly. Put a sheet of paper up on the refrigerator door and keep track of everything you use for a two-week period. This will give you a basis to compute how much of what items you use in a month’s time.
2. With each shopping trip, slowly start building up your reserve food stock. Buy one or two extra of non-perishable items that are canned or packed in airtight packages. Carefully examine the listed shelf life of each item. Don’t heavily stock up on an item that has a limited shelf life, and remember that these items need to be rotated on a yearly basis. When you get home, label your cans and packages with the purchase date. Rotate your stock so you are always using the oldest and keeping the newest. Set up some sort of inventory system so that items are replaced as they are used up. Ready-to-eat items are important such as canned meats or fish, dried fruit, nut butters and dry cereals.
3. Stock up on paper goods: paper plates, trash bags, paper towels, moist towelettes, toilet paper, diapers and feminine supplies.
4. Try to buy at the best prices possible. Get together with friends and neighbors to order case lots and bulk items.
5. Store items carefully and in sealed containers if they are not already packaged. You will need sealed plastic buckets, tote containers or smaller new galvanized garbage cans with tight fitting lids to ensure that your bulk items are not subject to moisture, insects or mice. If containers are not food-grade, store food inside the container in a food-grade plastic bag. See “How to Store Your Food” for more information on containers.
6. You can also supplement your pantry with freeze-dried or air-dried foods, MREs, and powdered milk and eggs.
7. The best long-term storage option, if you can afford it, is to purchase a pre-made low-moisture food program that will get you through any scenario. These programs come in various configurations, volumes and price ranges. Their major advantage is that they are low-moisture, come packed in larger #10 cans, and the oxygen is removed from the can. These factors facilitate the longest possible shelf life. See “Basic Food Programs.”
The importance of food becomes more apparent when you start totaling the quantity used over a year’s time. The average American eats over 1,400 pounds of food a year! This breakdowns to about:
• 370 pounds of fruits and vegetables
• 140 pounds of cereals
• 240 pounds of meat and fish
• 350 pounds of dairy products
• 350 pounds of other items

Planning a Food Program – Bottom Up!
When designing your food storage program start from the bottom up instead of the top down. By bottom up I mean look at what your family likes to eat and try to approximate this in your program. Obviously, you are going to be handicapped by shelf storage life, but this can be partially overcome by continually rotating, consuming and replenishing items in your food storage program which have a shorter shelf life. Examples are mayonnaise, canned tomatoes, ketchup, pickles, spaghetti sauce, etc.
      Your bottom-up food-program designing will be greatly assisted by the purchase a good food storage cookbook. (Cookbook sources are listed at the end of this section). Use the cookbook plus your family’s favorite recipes and put together a rotating 30-day menu plan. Calculate the quantities of each item needed to fulfill the menu for the full 30 days, including spices, leavens, oil and sweeteners. Then multiply the totals times the number of month’s worth of food you want to have. Finally, GO OUT AND BUY THE FOOD!
      Top down designing is when you shop for a generic one-year food supply without any consideration of how you are going to use it. Introducing new strange foods to your family in times of crisis might make you pretty unpopular. Plan ahead now for “camping out” and enjoying it.

Nutritional Guidelines

      Considerable research has been undertaken in recent years to develop guidelines and recommendations for storage food programs. The charts show typical four and twelve month emergency food supplies that would provide a comprehensive, nutritionally balanced program consisting of a broad variety of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, seeds and legumes. These programs should provide a hearty diet for a normally active adult male for the allotted time period.
      Most people don’t have enough variety in their storage programs. Some of the older conventional food storage programs consisted of the four basic food items: wheat, powdered milk, honey and salt. Wheat can be considered a backbone of an inexpensive storage program because of its long shelf life, nutritional balance and utility. Statistics suggest, however, that many people can’t survive very well on a diet in which whole wheat is the main staple. The major problem is wheat allergies.
      People with wheat allergies can usually tolerate refined wheat products (made with unbleached or white flour), but not whole wheat products. Many people are allergic to wheat and don’t realize it because they are only consuming a small amount of whole wheat in their daily diet. However, once whole wheat becomes a major staple in their diet, they start experiencing complications. This is especially true with young children.
      Another problem with not having enough variety in your food storage program is appetite fatigue. This occurs when people get tired of eating the same foods every day and many times will prefer not to eat at all. Children are especially susceptible to this phenomenon. One way to make your program more appetizing is to add some instant soups and sauces, as well as dehydrated fruits and vegetables and freeze dried meats. This can turn a very limited diet into a tasty menu. Another solution is to purchase less wheat and substitute a variety of whole grains. Please refer to “Nutritional Analysis Comparisons” for nutritional components of a variety of grains. A balance of beans and grains can add both flavor and variety. Both are inexpensive and can provide complete proteins. Numerous grains are good substitutes for wheat including quinoa (pronounced keenwah), amaranth, spelt (a cousin of wheat) and kamut (an ancestor of wheat). Quinoa and amaranth have virtually no gluten and may be tolerated by those who cannot eat wheat. Although both spelt and kamut have gluten contents, they are apparently more easily tolerated by people with wheat allergies.
Kamut
Kamut is an early ancestor of wheat that was used in ancient Egypt. Kamut has 20 to 40% more protein than modern wheat, and is noted for making excellent pastry, noodles, cereals and baked goods.
Spelt
Spelt was the staff-of-life in early Europe. Its dehusked kernels were consumed as a whole grain staple food, gaining spelt the reputation as “the rice of Europe.” After nourishing Europe’s Golden Ages, spelt almost completely vanished. It has been re-discovered recently growing high up on the mountainsides of the Alps. Spelt is parent and ancestor to today’s modern wheat. It has a highly water-soluble fiber that dissolves easily for efficient nutrient assimilation. Spelt is richly supplied with nutrients, has a hearty nut-like flavor and is delicious used for baked goods, cereals, pastas, breads and flour.
Quinoa
Quinoa is indigenous to South America and this grain like food has been cultivated in the Andes since at least 3000 BC. It was the mainstay of the Inca culture. Quinoa is high in protein, calcium and iron and is now grown in Colorado. Quinoa has a 15 to 20 year storage life when properly packaged in an oxygen-free environment. It can be cooked and served like rice or added to baked goods.
Amaranth
Amaranth comes originally from the Aztecs and from China. It is a member of the pigweed family and is grown at lower altitudes than quinoa. Amaranth is rather tricky to cultivate but the tiny grains produce a flour used in making breads, cereal and pasta. Amaranth can also be cooked like rice and the grain has a strong, slightly bitter flavor.
Vitamins and Minerals
One thing which long-term food storage tends to be deficient in is vitamins. Vitamin C, D and multi-vitamins are important supplements to a long-term storage diet. This is an especially important consideration for children since children’s bodies don’t store reserves of nutrients like adults’ do. Also, the situation or environment which would cause you to have to rely on your long-term food storage, in all likelihood, would bring with it considerable stress. Stress depletes vitamins and minerals in the body and is a major contributor to sickness and disease. Vitamins are another item which lose their potency, but they can be stored and rotated into daily use. Also, digestive supplements are a must! Most dehydrated food is difficult to digest and can create a lot of gas. This can make you fairly unpopular in a crowded shelter environment (it might even get you thrown outside).
Depending on your personal dietary preferences, you may want to vary the food quantities listed in the program, as well as supplement the program with additional vegetables, freeze-dried meat, sweeteners, oil and condiments.
Comfort Foods
Do make sure that your program includes foods that are psychologically comforting to your family members. Good food is critical to the morale of your family. Research has shown that the single most important factor affecting a person’s physical and mental health during a crisis is the quality of the food available. They say that the best food program is to store what you eat and eat what you store.
      Even the Office of Civil Defense recommends that you select familiar foods saying they are more heartening and acceptable during times of stress. Try Jell-O, puddings, tapioca and the makings of a pie. It may seem frivolous but you can help normalize an otherwise drab diet and take the attention off the grains and beans. Carla Emery, well-known author and Y2K lecturer names desserts and sweets first when lecturing on food storage because of their psychological importance.
      It is hard to make radical dietary changes in what you eat overnight, and this is especially true for children. In some cases children have been known to starve rather than to eat unfamiliar food. So have a case of jam and some peanut butter to keep the kids from starving and combine your program with condiments, herbs, spices and seasonings that will brighten up your reserves.
      If your children are used to drinking milk, they might find the taste of nonfat powdered milk disagreeable. One alternative is a whey-based milk drink. This drink tastes very good, is loaded with vitamin and minerals and children like it. It can be substituted for milk in recipes. This product is available through Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077.

Plan Ahead

      When a family or shelter group has their food storage program fully organized and rehearsed they can reap the tremendous advantage of not having to work out so many things during the actual crisis, when they are under stress. Prearranging and practicing your survival procedures, including food preparation, will allow for continuity of normal life and your ability to direct your attention to the most critical tasks at hand.
      Collect the recipes you like the best into one place. A crisis situation does not lend to the cook trying out new recipes and more importantly, does not lend to the family trying to eat them. If you know what your family likes best, just make sure you have the recipes and ingredients needed to come as close to what they know and like as possible.
      Have all the ingredients for your first week of emergency cooking laid out ahead of time. Try out some of the meals in advance. Plan a weekend cookout for family and friends. Last of all (or first of all) don’t forget a good can opener and a bucket opener for 5-gallon pails.

Condiments, Oils, Seasonings and Spices

      Include in your food storage program sufficient quantities of flavorings such as bouillon, onion, garlic, your favorite herbs, soy sauce, chili powder, mustard powder and, of course, salt and pepper. Ingredients needed for baking are also a must: baking soda and powder (non-aluminum baking powder is best), active dry yeast, powdered eggs and milk, cinnamon, vanilla, honey and other sweeteners. Make sure you stock enough cooking oil.
      In Europe shortly after World War II, most people were familiar with hunger. One quart of vegetable oil was a highly prized commodity because of its scarcity, the flavor it added to food and its high caloric content.
      Honey and sugar have always been items of high barter value during food shortages. In addition, honey has a medical history of being curative and being effective in treating wounds, infections and burns.
      Recent research on oil and fats has determined that the kind of fats and oils we cook with and eat is as important as the amount. Fat intake should be moderately low, between 20 to 30 percent of your total calories. Monosaturated fats are considered heart-healthy. One storable source is olive oil. When purchasing olive oil, try to get either virgin or pure grades. Any other grades of olive oil are chemically extracted. The pure grade of olive oil can be used in almost all recipes. Extra-light olive oil or a vegetable oil should be chosen for baking. Try to find oils that are expeller pressed and avoid hydrogenated oils. Sesame oil is another healthy oil that stores well. Canola oil also stores fairly well, but recent studies have indicated possible negative side effects with prolonged use.

MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)

      MREs or meals ready to eat were originally developed for the military. They are fully hydrated and precooked meals with the individual portion vacuum sealed in a foil laminate. You just drop the foil laminate packages in boiling water to heat or open the packaging and eat cold. MREs are especially applicable for grab and run emergency packs and situations where cooking and meal preparation is not feasible. They only last for about three years. MREs are loaded with sodium. So plan on drinking lots of water with them. Autopsies of soldiers in Viet Nam who subsisted on MREs for extended periods of time indicated that the high sodium content could contribute to serious health problems. They should not be relied on for extended periods of time, but they do have their place.
      Although they are expensive, you may want to consider supplementing your food program with freeze-dried meals. Rumor has it that the Navy Seals prefer freeze-dried meals to MREs. They don’t have an exceptional shelf life, but they are very tasty and easy to rotate into your daily diet. (Some may last up to eight years). They are easy to prepare, by adding hot or cold water, and in many cases, can be eaten as-is. They feature vegetable, chicken, turkey and beef entrées, side dishes, desserts and soups. Contact Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077 for more information on no-cook, freeze-dried foods.
      There are numerous energy bars and emergency food ration bars on the market as well. They cannot be viewed as a long-term nutritional food source, but could be stocked in the trunk of your car or for emergency situations where you have no other source of a quick energy boost. In spite of all the innovations in food preserving and long-term storage, we unfortunately still have not seen the development of the freeze-dried pizza.

Heater Meals

      The newest ready-to-eat product to come onto the market are the Heater Meals. These prepared entrées come with their own internal flameless stove. They heat up and are ready to eat in 14 minutes, without electricity, fire or flame. A water packet that comes in the package with the entrée is poured into the heater and activates a chemical reaction that produces heat. The food heater is made of iron and magnesium. This product has a shelf life of about 24 months. The package also includes a fork, salt, pepper, napkin and an ounce pouch of water. Entrées include turkey breast, beef, chicken and noodles, spaghetti with meatballs, pepper steak, and scrambled eggs with ham and potatoes.

Renewable Food Sources: Self-Sufficiency Gardening, Livestock and Hunting

      I am personally not too optimistic about the idea of living out of #10 cans and 5-gallon buckets. Above and beyond appetite considerations, they are not renewable food sources. Gardens and small livestock should not be overlooked in terms of their additional importance. It’s a great idea to grow your own garden and/or a community garden every year and get in the habit of canning fruits and vegetables. Stockpile a five-year supply of canning lids and rings, jars and vinegar, and at least several years worth of non-hybrid garden seeds. A vegetable grown from a non-hybrid seed will produce seeds that can be planted and will yield vegetables the next year, enabling you to grow and save your own seeds. A non-hybrid seed package is available from Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077.
      Goats can pretty much live off the land. They can stay alive eating the bark off trees. I am not saying you will get the highest production and flavor of milk under these conditions, but they will survive when the cow has died for a lack of hay. Other renewable food sources such as sheep, chickens, rabbits, turkeys and bees might be considered as part of your long-term food program. Read more about self-sufficiency in The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery. It is a wonderfully complete resource guide for everything you might want to know on these subjects. It is available through Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077.
      During the great depression of the 1930’s many people managed to stay alive and feed their families with wild game. Most Americans don’t know how to gut an animal let alone track one down and shoot it. Hunting is a skill and it takes time and experience to become proficient. If you have time and access, start hunting and develop some skill and familiarity. What may be recreation now could be a matter of survival in the future.

Sprouting

      Storing seeds and beans for sprouting is also highly recommended. Most of the food in your storage program is effectively dead. It will supply you with carbohydrates, some protein and sugar, but it is devoid of enzymes and vitamins. Sprouting is easy. Sprouts can be grown almost anywhere. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and proteins, live enzymes and fiber. Sprouts are also a source of antioxidants. In general, one-third cup of seeds will yield over a pound of fresh sprouted greens at a cost of 25 to 30 cents.
      The following list gives an idea of what seeds and beans you might want to store for sprouting: alfalfa, broccoli, cauliflower, red clover, kale, mung beans, mustard, onion, radish, radish daikon, wheat.
      Seeds store best in non-permeable plastic and each different kind should be stored separately, in a cool, dry, dark place. If you plan to sprout, store extra water for this purpose. If you haven’t tried sprouting before, now is a good time to start. Sprout kits are available through Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077.

Live Food Supplements

      There are also numerous products on the health food market featuring dry powdered greens that will mix into water or juice to provide a highly nutritious drink. These include green kamut and green barley. These greens can also be combined with other powdered grains and vegetables to produce a dry “superfood” drink mix. These highly concentrated powders provide an excellent addition to your storage program.

Dehydrating
You may want to consider dehydrating some of your own foods. Dehydrators can also be used to dry meats or make jerky. Home-dehydrated foods can be stored in ziplock bags or vacuum-seal jars. Be aware that home-dehydrated food is not as low moisture as commercially dehydrated food and will not have as long a shelf life.

Cookbooks for Food Storage
Cooking with Just Water, by Barbara G Salsbury
Cooking with Home Storage, by Vicki Tate
See Resource List at back of book for more listings.

How to Store Your Food
      The cooler the storage environment, the longer will be the storage life of the food. Food stored in areas exposed to summer heat and temperature extremes will degenerate rapidly. Food stored in living areas of your home or shelter will be warmer than food stored in a cool, dark part of the house or in less-used areas of a shelter.
      Identification of food containers is important. Contents and the date of packaging should be clearly marked. The owner’s name should also be on each box, can or bucket, if more than one party is sharing storage space.
      Be organized! Place food into storage according to a workable plan. If the cook can’t find the food, what good is it? Whatever the scenario that would require use of food stores or cause people to take shelter, food can be one of the most comforting and normalizing elements for everyone. The cook is one of the most important people you have and must be given all assistance possible to prepare satisfying meals.
      This means a kitchen and storage area intelligently planned out, food that is accessible, an accurate inventory, a pre-planned menu and reasonable privacy for the cook to work in. Post a map in the kitchen of where all the food is stored, so that if more than one person is cooking, everything is findable.

Packaging and Containers

      Every family and group should carefully consider how their food investment is packaged and stored. Since no one knows exactly when they will have to utilize their food storage program, it needs to be protected from oxidation, moisture, rodents and insects—possibly for years. This can only be accomplished if the food is properly packaged for long-term storage. No packaging is a formula for disaster. People who have stored food in their shelters in burlap, plastic or paper bags or in cardboard boxes have always regretted their decision. I have seen numerous instances of mice infesting food storage tanks. In one case, mice destroyed thousands of pounds of bagged grains. This has happened even though there was not a perceptible source of water for the mice. In this particular instance, attempts were made to kill the mice by fumigating the tanks with carbon dioxide. Once the mice were killed, the next job was disposing of the dead mice, collecting the spilled grain, perhaps also separating out the droppings from the kernels, and maybe eventually doing something about the smell.
      The other problem is the presence of ground water seeping into some underground storage areas. Direct contact with water causes paper bags to rupture and spill, then the grains will mold, rot or ferment. Do not underestimate the amount of moisture in the ground! That moisture, if it finds its way into the storage area, will raise the humidity, soften the paper bags, and begin to spoil the unprotected food. Ripped bags and spilled grain are a certainty when damp or weakened bags get moved around.

Shape and Size of Containers

      Containers need to be manageable in weight. Most people can handle a 5-gallon plastic bucket full of grain, or a case of six metal #10 cans, but find a 6-gallon bucket a bit too heavy. Shape is particularly important, especially in shelters, because it relates to the efficient use of that precious underground space.
      By far the most efficient container available is the 5-gallon rectangular metal tin. Because it has no taper and no rounded edges, it allows nearly 100 percent of available storage space to be utilized. A 5-gallon rounded plastic bucket wastes almost 40 percent of that available space. The tins are, however, a lot more difficult to handle than buckets because they don’t have handles. Cases of #10 cans are nearly as space- efficient as the rectangular tins.
      There is no perfect food storage container on the market. The perfect container would be airtight, easy to open and close, hard as steel, rustproof, stack nicely in use, and nest within itself when not in use. It would also be inexpensive, have a comfortable carrying handle, have several sizes and finally, be rectangular and without a taper for space efficiency. Short of perfection, one should choose the most practical container based on the circumstances at hand. Following is a brief comparison of plastic buckets, metal tins and metal #10 (3/4 gallon) cans.

Plastic 5-gallon Buckets

      The plastic round buckets are the least expensive, they don’t rust and they come in two standard sizes, 5 and 6 gallon. They are easy to carry, commonly available and they will nest when not in use. Plastic buckets stack fairly well but they can only be stacked 3 to 4 buckets high depending on the weight of their ingredients. They are 95% rodent proof. In some instances, rats and ground squirrels have gnawed through the sides of buckets. Plastic buckets tend to be hard to open and the lids may be damaged when the bucket is opened without a bucket opener tool. Due to their shape, round buckets tend to waste storage space.
      Plastic buckets cost more to ship via UPS. United Parcel Service charges an extra $3 per bucket, above and beyond the relevant weight and zone charge, as a special handling charge. Some suppliers have reverted to shipping round plastic buckets in specially made boxes to get around this extra UPS charge.

Mylar Bags

      All plastic breathes a small amount. Over time, minor amounts of air migrate through the walls of a plastic bucket. A mylar plastic bag liner greatly reduces this gas transmission. These bags are very strong. They are 4 mil thick, have an outer layer of aluminum and 3 additional inner layers of plastic. In general, they are opaque, airtight and waterproof and when properly sealed, they will hold a partial vacuum. This is important if oxygen absorber packets are being used to remove the oxygen from the inside of the plastic bucket. Oxygen absorber packets create a partial vacuum in the container. Using oxygen absorber packets without a mylar plastic bag tends to cause the sides of the bucket to suck in, especially at altitudes over 3500 feet. Many buckets are not strong enough to hold this vacuum and deform in shape. The mylar bag liner eliminates this problem by containing the partial vacuum to the inside of the bag.
      Using mylar bag bucket liners increases the labor involved in putting food in a bucket. Once filled with the ingredient and the two 750 cc. oxygen absorber packets, the end of the mylar bag has to be heat-sealed before the bucket lid is hammered on. The temperature of the bag sealing iron needs to be adjusted so that the end of the bag is properly heat-sealed. If this is done right, the seam cannot be pulled apart without destroying the bag. If the temperature of the iron is set too high, it will destroy the strength of the bag, and if it is too cool, the seam can be pulled apart fairly easily.
      When attempting to seal the mylar bag liner, place a 20 inch 2"x4" board on one side of the bucket. Fold or pull the end of the bag over the 2"x4" and heat-seal the bag by ironing the bag against the board with a conventional clothes iron.
      If you are putting food away with the goal of using it within the next five years and if the ingredients are mainly beans and wheat, all of this extra mylar bag work might not be a very big issue. Wheat and beans, by their nature, are fairly stable.

Metal 5-gallon Rectangular Tins

      Metal 5-gallon rectangular tins are by their shape space efficient. They are also airtight, rodent proof, stack well in block, and easy to open. But these containers are more expensive, harder to carry, less available, dent easily, only come in one size, are subject to rusting and they won’t nest when empty.

#10 Metal Cans

      The #10 metal can is the easiest container size to handle (3/4 gallon). This container is fairly space-efficient and due to its small size, is the best container for dehydrated fruits and vegetables. The #10 metal can is the most airtight long-term food storage container. Cases (cardboard boxes holding six cans) stack beautifully. It is the best size for kitchen use, and allows vacuum-packaging. This container is the most expensive option. It also requires a mechanical can closer to crimp the lid on the can. This makes it a little harder to use them for do-it-yourself canning.

55 Gallon Steel Drums

      Beekeepers use a variation of a 55 gallon steel drum that has a removable top lid and a food grade interior coating for storing honey. These drums can be purchased for a price ranging from $12.50 to $20 each. They are particularly handy for storing large volumes of wheat and beans. The down side of these containers is they are hard to move and transport when full, although it might make it harder for the authorities to cart it off. Anyhow, locate the nearest commercial beekeeper and if he doesn’t have any spare ones to sell, he can put you onto a source for these barrels.

Protection and Preservation of Contents

      Most long-term storage foods have a moisture content of 10 percent or less. This is sufficient to prevent the growth of mold. These dry foods will tend to pick up additional moisture from the air, which will decrease their stability (shelf life). A major goal of packaging for storage then is to keep the dry foods dry. Suitable moisture-resistant containers accomplish this.
      A second challenge is to prevent rodent damage and insect invasion. Since a determined rodent can gnaw through plastic, metal containers are best for extended storage. To control insects, first procure grains and seeds that have been cleaned to USDA standards for No. 1 grain. This will greatly reduce but may not eliminate infestation already present.
      To completely control insects in food requires fumigation by the inert gases of nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Whenever the oxygen in the container is flushed out by one of these gases, the living insects inside will smother from lack of oxygen. Carbon dioxide, unlike nitrogen, is also toxic to insects if present in high enough concentration.
      A simple solution has just come to light. Five dry bay leaves in a 6 gallon bucket of grains or beans will prevent insect infestation—apparently the bugs just don’t like them.

Oxygen Absorber Packets

      Oxygen absorber packets are the newest innovation for eliminating oxygen inside of long-term food storage containers. Oxygen absorber packets are a desiccant like the packets you find in your vitamin and prescription bottles. These packets come in two sizes, 450 cc. and 750 cc. One 450 cc. packet is used in a #10 can to absorb the oxygen once the can is closed. Two 750 cc. packets are used to absorb the oxygen out of a 5 or 6 gallon plastic bucket. These are only to be used with dry ingredients and not to be used in containers filled with oil, honey or some other liquid. The beauty of oxygen absorber packets is production speed. Packaging food, be it by hand or machine, is much, much faster with oxygen absorber packets as opposed to having to use nitrogen or C02. Some critics argue that oxygen absorber packets are not as good as nitrogen or C02. This is true, but in most cases we are probably only talking about a 5% difference. This may only be a relevant concern if your objective is to store your food for 25 years.

Nitrogen Packing

      Very few canning operations still use nitrogen because using oxygen absorbers greatly speeds up production. Nitrogen flushing controls insects and eliminates oxidation. Insects are smothered because oxygen is removed from the container and replaced by nitrogen, an inert gas.
      Preservation is accomplished because with the removal of oxygen, oxidation ceases. Oxidation is a chemical reaction involving oxygen that causes food to loose flavor, color and nutritional value.
      True nitrogen packing is a three-stage process. The first stage is to draw a vacuum on the container and remove the air. Next the container is flushed with nitrogen gas, removing the vacuum; and finally the container is hermetically sealed. Thus, the air has been replaced by nitrogen, and no vacuum remains within the food container.
      The second variation of nitrogen packing involves flushing the container without first vacuuming out the air. This method is not as effective since it only replaces a portion of the oxygen in the container, but it has its place in some instances and is better than no treatment at all. Another option for packing is to draw a vacuum on a container (usually a canning jar) and hold the vacuum while the container is sealed. No nitrogen is added. This process does remove the oxygen, and will be effective as long as the vacuum is maintained. While sometimes useful for household food preservation, this method is not used by storage food suppliers.

CO2 Flushing

      Many storage food items keep well with a minimum of treatment. Most grain and beans are stable and will keep their nutritional value for years if kept cool and dry. They are, however, prone to harbor insects, such as weevils and moths. The use of carbon dioxide, in a simple process called “CO2 flushing” or “CO2 packing” will very effectively eliminate these pests.
      The principle here is not the elimination of oxygen, but elevating the levels of CO2 in the storage container. Slightly higher-than-normal CO2 levels will kill insects, rodents, and incidentally people (if they are in a sealed environment). Simple equipment is used, consisting of a bottle of pressurized CO2, regulator, hose, and injection wand. The cans or tins are filled with the food product and a specified volume of gas is injected into the container before it is sealed.
      Unfortunately, plastic buckets cannot be flushed with CO2. While nitrogen is inert and non-reactive (one of the “noble gases”), CO2 is not. It reacts over time with the interior walls of the plastic bucket, chemically bonding with them. In doing so, the gas vacates the spaces around the food product inside the bucket, and in fact will cause a powerful vacuum to be created inside the bucket. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that it causes the buckets to “suck in” from the vacuum effect. This distortion can weaken the bucket’s stacking ability, and often is so severe that the walls crack, admitting air and insects.

Diatomaceous Earth

      Buckets used alone, without CO2 or nitrogen, serve the admirable purpose of inhibiting rodents and moisture, and are far superior to unprotected bags of grains and beans. But there is an additional way to control insects in stored grains and beans, which is the simplest of all methods.
      Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a marine deposit that is mined from the earth, ground up into a fine, talc-like consistency, and used by many farmers to prevent insect infestations in silo-stored grain. Microscopic marine creatures called diatoms formed these deposits millions of years ago. The silica shells of diatoms are extremely abrasive to insects, scratching off the protective waxy coating on their shells, thereby killing the insects from dehydration of body fluids. DE works as well in buckets as it does in grain silos and is completely non-toxic to humans and animals. Favored by natural farmers over chemical fumigation of silos, it is an inexpensive method for those packaging their own food. Few commercial suppliers of storage foods are aware of DE and none are selling products treated with it.

Freeze-Drying vs. Air-Drying

      Freeze drying is a process in which a raw or cooked food item is flash-frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber in which the moisture in the food is drawn off. This is a sophisticated method that relatively few processors have the equipment to accomplish. It is a super way to preserve food, but the products are more expensive than air-dried foods. Some dried foods are only available in freeze-dried form, including meats.
      Freeze-dried foods cook much faster than air-dried. Freeze-dried green peas, for example, need only boiling water poured over them and they are ready to eat in about 5 minutes. Air-dried peas must be cooked in boiling water for about 20 minutes. That’s a lot more cooking fuel! Air-dried dehydrated foods are less expensive than freeze-dried. Air-drying causes the foods to shrink, making it possible to put more food in a can. Hence, air-dried foods take less storage space—as much as 75 percent for some items. Air-drying is something that a homemaker can do oneself. It is fun but time consuming.

Commonly Asked Questions

      How long will dehydrated food store if I do not open the can?
      The chart on the accompanying page outlines basic guidelines for life expectancy of basic food ingredients, but the question is not an easy one to answer. It depends on how the food was packaged and the conditions under which it is being stored. Very little scientific testing has been done to determine shelf life. It appears nevertheless that a storage life of 5 years can be expected for 95 percent of the storage foods, with minimal care.
      Ideal storage is in a dry area that can be maintained in the 40 degree range. Since this is impossible for most of us, 50 to 70 degrees is acceptable but will shorten shelf life. Any higher temperatures are sure to eat rapidly into the shelf life of your food stores. It is good to store your food on north walls, close to the floor, in root cellars, in basements without heaters, or even under the house if it is always dry.
      Some foods are more sensitive than others. Active dry yeast, butter powder, powdered cheese may need to be replaced after a few years, and some oils even before that. If liquid vegetable oils are stored, they should be checked for rancidity after one year. Monounsaturated oils with high oleic acid content, like olive oil and canola oil, have a naturally higher resistance to rancidity than other oils. Dehydrated oily products also have a relatively shorter shelf life. These include butter and margarine powders, and to a degree, powdered milk.
How long will the food keep after I have opened the can?
      Freeze-dried foods (meats, fruits or vegetables) can be stored for up to two or three months, if care is taken to always keep a plastic lid on, and if the can is stored in a cool, dry place. Other low moisture foods should have a minimum storage after opening of four months or more.

Basic Food Programs

      The sample programs on the succeeding pages give you an idea of what to look for in a food program. Examples include a 4-month program and a 12-month program. Deluxe healthy programs include healthier ingredients—a definite consideration for stressful times.
      The “Y2K Value Pak” is a typical run-of-the-mill conventional Mormon-type food program. It is not a health food oriented package; has a heavy emphasis on grains, beans and powdered milk; and includes soy-based meat substitutes, sugar, hydrogenated oils and chemicals. But it is inexpensive!
      One thing to consider when looking for a food program is the whole issue of calories and protein. According to the American Red Cross, the average male adult uses up to 3,000 calories and 70 grams of protein a day. Packages that only supply 900 to1,200 calories per day are most likely a starvation diet. Also look at the quality of the calories and protein. Does the food package get the bulk of its calories from white sugar and does it contain inexpensive soy based protein. The better programs will contain honey and real freeze dried meat.
      We have included charts indicating the weight and volume of food normally packed in #10 cans and 5 and 6-gallon buckets. Evaluating these charts will make your planning easier. Upgrades and adjuncts packages are also sampled here so that you can add variety to your program.

Adjuncts
      Most food storage programs leave it to you to put together the condiments and seasonings that you need. However, here’s an actual adjunct package offered to supplement a 12-month food storage program:
lemon extract, vanilla extract, mustard, apple cider vinegar, tapioca, allspice, basil, bay leaf, caraway seed, cardamom, cayenne, celery seed, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry, dill weed, garlic powder, ginger powder, Italian seasoning, mint, mustard powder, nutmeg, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, black pepper, white pepper, poppy seeds, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage.

Comprehensive Food Storage Programs for home or shelter can be obtained by contacting Yellowstone River Trading Company, 2010 West Koch Street, Suite 15, Bozeman, MT 59718, (800) 585-5077, (406) 585-8949, Fax: (406) 586-6955, E-mail YelRivTr@cs.com

What equipment do I need?
1. The can opener and bucket opener
      You’ve already heard this quite a few times, but your food storage program will be quite ineffective if you are not able to open your cans and buckets!
2. Grain mills
      Most one-year food programs come with an inexpensive handmill. Try grinding wheat in one of these Corona handmills. You won’t have to pump iron anymore. If you can afford it, invest in a good handmill. Since the bulk of most long-term food programs is made up predominately of grain, it is very important to have some sort of non-electric means of turning grain into flour and meal. Three different hand-powered grain mills can be ordered from Yellowstone River Trading (800) 585-5077.
3. Pressure cooker/Cookware
      A pressure cooker is a must! Pressure cooking cooks food with the least expenditure of energy. It also cooks things faster, by as much as 30%, and it is one of the best ways to rehydrate dehydrated foods. In addition, a pressure cooker helps retain nutrients in your food. Pay a little more and get a pressure cooker made of stainless steel. The established medical and scientific community is just starting to acknowledge the long-term health dangers of cooking in aluminum pots.
5. The microwave
      Even if electricity is available, forget the microwave. It destroys the value of the food. The U.S. Navy did a study on a ship where half the crew was having noted increase in sickness. What the study revealed was that the half of the crew that was prone to sickness ate in the second meal shift which had all of their food reheated in microwave ovens.

The Worst Case Scenario

      Rationing, Hiding and Hoarding

      The whole concept of hoarding assumes public ownership or communism. If you personally purchased food, it is, in fact, private property. Also, in order to have hoarding you have to have a shortage. People who stock up ahead of time when there is no shortage are not hoarders. People who wait till the last minute and then try and strip the store shelves of food are hoarders. Procrastination and denial are the root causes of hoarding.
      Nonetheless, don’t have all your eggs in one basket. In the event of a national emergency, Executive Order 10998 would empower the president to take over all food resources and farms. This means the National Guard could come and confiscate your food reserves with the exception of whatever they considered to be a two-week food supply. Reports from some U.S. military participants in Fort Polk 1995 Partnership for Peace exercises indicated that one of the training scenarios involved an operation against a group of people who had committed the crime of hoarding food. Hide a substantial portion of your food in a secret, secured location. If they can’t find it, they can’t take it!
      Anti-Hoarding Laws are on the books and do not specify what constitutes a national emergency. This means that specifics on hoarding are left up to the states. There are anti-hoarding references under Title 50 War and National Defense, Section 2072. After the legalese is eliminated, it says that no one shall accumulate goods in excess of “reasonable amounts” for business, personal or home consumption, which could become scarce, “goods” to be designated by the President. Penalties for doing so may result in fines of not more than $10,000 and/or one year imprisonment.
      The government previously maintained food reserves to feed the population in the event of a national emergency, but these reserves for the most part have been liquidated. Much of our wheat reserves were sold to the Soviets, paid for with loans from New York banks. In 1977 the Soviet government completed a five-year food storage project which provides their entire population with 2 pounds of grain per person per day for 300 days. Most of that wheat came from the U.S. All things considered, I would not in any way feel guilty or unpatriotic about not wanting to give up my food reserves. Most people make great sacrifices and do without certain luxuries in order to obtain food reserves. At the same time, the rest of the population was spending their money on trips to Las Vegas, vacations and new cars.

Access

      Most of your food storage should be kept in a well hidden, temperature-stable location. Two to four weeks worth of food needs to be immediately accessible. Unless your food is accessible when needed, it is of no value. Organization and inventory are part of accessibility. When locating an adequate storage site, the actual amount of cubic storage space required needs to be pre-determined. In general a basic one-year, one person, low-moisture long-term food supply requires roughly 15 cubic feet of storage space. If the food is for a fallout or underground shelter, remember that space inside a shelter is valuable and expensive. Less expensive structures and/or tanks can be constructed outside or adjacent to the actual shelter space that will adequately store food.
      When storing large amounts of food inside a confined storage area, space utilization realities may necessitate brick stacking in a block. Containers in the back of the pile end up being virtually inaccessible. But in this type of storage circumstance, with a little more planning and effort, you can carefully organize the stacking so that you will “eat your way” progressively into the pile.
      Defending food from theft may become an issue in the future. Food stored in or adjacent to your home or shelter in most cases will be easier to defend. Food left in unlocked outbuildings may become a tempting object of theft in the event of food shortages. Food properly buried outside in a non-obvious manner is not likely to be noticed or stolen. But the more hidden the food, the more difficult it may end up being to retrieve. If excavation is needed to uncover a food storage cache, that activity might attract attention at a bad time. It also might not be feasible if the ground is frozen or heavy equipment is not available.
      When burying food, it is wise not to put it directly into the ground (in buckets or cans for example), but rather to put it inside a larger tank, concrete cistern or other container. The reasons for this are that round plastic buckets are not absolutely waterproof or airtight, despite conventional theories to the contrary. Ground moisture will infiltrate the container eventually, thus spoiling the food. Also, small containers lack the strength to withstand the weight of vehicles on top. Heavy downward pressure causes containers to crush, split and rupture. Digging up a storage cache will be a lot harder than burying it and you will probably have to dig up the entire cache in order to find the particular container you want.

Effects of Radiation on Food

      Many people misunderstand the real effects of radioactive fallout on food. If food is exposed to radioactive fallout, it does not necessarily make the food itself radioactive. If the food is enclosed in sealed containers any fallout which has settled on it can be cleaned off before opening the container. The contents of any such container can be safely consumed. Food can be safely grown in soil which has been contaminated by fallout from a nuclear detonation as long as the crops are planted a month after the fallout occurred.
      Foods such as clams, mussels, and organs of mammals should not be eaten during periods of radioactivity because they act as filters and concentrate contaminants. Livestock can be butchered and eaten if the meat is boned and the fat is discarded. Milk from dairy cattle grazing on contaminated ground will be unsafe to drink for 30 days after a nuclear event. After 30 days, the milk can be safely used. Root crops, seeds, fruit and berries grown in contaminated soil should not be eaten because of water-borne contaminants they absorb through their roots and concentrate in the plant. A second crop would be safe to eat.
      In case of impending radioactive fallout, it would be good, if material and time facilitates, to cover garden areas with PVC plastic sheeting. This will catch and keep fallout particles from soaking into and contaminating the earth. The PVC can be removed once the fallout is over and radiation levels are low enough to go outside your shelter. This garden area can be immediately used for planting and any subsequent crops safely eaten.

Food as a Political Tool

      The latest twist in the global-corporate people-population control agenda is the creation of terminator seed technology. It incorporates a method of biogenetic engineering that turns off the reproductive processes of plants so that the seed that these plants produce is sterile. Basically speaking they have produced a one-time seed. This genetic manipulation disables the ability of the plant to produce seeds that will germinate. Gardeners and farmers could no longer save seed from a crop and use the seeds the following year. Everyone would be forced to buy new seed every year.
      The purpose of this terminator technology is seed market control. The less obvious purpose is food control, people control and thus population control. With the growing marriage of agribusiness conglomerates and government this technology could eventually be used to control the flow of food globally.
      In 1953, Fabian socialist Bertrand Russell described how food could be used to control entire populations: “A scientific world society cannot be stable unless there is a world government. This authority should deal out the world’s food to the various nations in proportion to their population at the time of the establishment of the authority. If any nation subsequently increases its population, it should not on that account receive any more food.